3 ms·

Minneapolis did the right thing with its light rail: Going from the Airport, to downtown, to the Mall of America. When I was consulting in Minneapolis, getting

Minneapolis did the right thing with its light rail: Going from the Airport, to downtown, to the Mall of America. When I was consulting in Minneapolis, getting from the Airport to the apartment I'd rented downtown was just a typical jaunt on public transit. Here's how to win with public transit: Build it where people want to go. Amazing how difficult that is.

duxup 7y ago
Yeah the first few lines are pretty obvious if you are smart about it. Twins ballpark / transit hub (not there at time of construction but it helps that it is now), downtown, Vikings Stadium, Airport, MOA... pretty obvious and useful route. Then to the U and St. Paul. After that is is a question of what direction out to the burbs you reach out to, and then the next, and so on.
- bluGill 7y ago
  If it isn't obvious the question shouldn't be asked. Just put in a Bus rapid transit system, and change the line every few months until you find a "line" that is profitable, then keep that line going for a few years to prove it works long term. Now you have real rider numbers to plug into the equation of if the line is worth it.
  - duxup 7y ago
    I'm not sure rider number experiments are really needed. At least in MN rider predictions were on the conservative side, but reasonable as far as predictors. Granted that doesn't mean your idea is bad or anything. I do wonder how many people would change their routine for a "temporary" bus line... not sure they would.
    - stcredzero 7y ago
      I think it was Portland (it was somewhere in the Pacific NW) in the 90's had a "custom bus" running late at night. If you lived within 2 miles of a regular bus route, you could phone in a request, and a dispatcher would make up a new bus line for that night that would pick up everyone who called in.
      - bluGill 7y ago
        For public transit to work this is important. In the early hours of the morning few people want to get around typically. However the fear that you cannot get around if you need to holds people back. However if I know that should I need to there is an option that isn't too expensive I'm likely try it. Minneapolis used to have a guaranteed ride home (might still do, I don't live there anymore) to cover people who took the bus somewhere, but had to work last.
        duxup 7y ago
        Yup it is still a thing! https://www.metrotransit.org/guaranteed-ride-home https://www.metrotransit.org/guaranteed-ride-home
      - duxup 7y ago
        That's a cool idea to cover those fringe events that aren't worth full time service, but you want to be there to help.

duxup 7y ago

Yeah the first few lines are pretty obvious if you are smart about it. Twins ballpark / transit hub (not there at time of construction but it helps that it is now), downtown, Vikings Stadium, Airport, MOA... pretty obvious and useful route. Then to the U and St. Paul. After that is is a question of what direction out to the burbs you reach out to, and then the next, and so on.

bluGill 7y ago
If it isn't obvious the question shouldn't be asked. Just put in a Bus rapid transit system, and change the line every few months until you find a "line" that is profitable, then keep that line going for a few years to prove it works long term. Now you have real rider numbers to plug into the equation of if the line is worth it.
- duxup 7y ago
  I'm not sure rider number experiments are really needed. At least in MN rider predictions were on the conservative side, but reasonable as far as predictors. Granted that doesn't mean your idea is bad or anything. I do wonder how many people would change their routine for a "temporary" bus line... not sure they would.
  - stcredzero 7y ago
    I think it was Portland (it was somewhere in the Pacific NW) in the 90's had a "custom bus" running late at night. If you lived within 2 miles of a regular bus route, you could phone in a request, and a dispatcher would make up a new bus line for that night that would pick up everyone who called in.
    - bluGill 7y ago
      For public transit to work this is important. In the early hours of the morning few people want to get around typically. However the fear that you cannot get around if you need to holds people back. However if I know that should I need to there is an option that isn't too expensive I'm likely try it. Minneapolis used to have a guaranteed ride home (might still do, I don't live there anymore) to cover people who took the bus somewhere, but had to work last.
      - duxup 7y ago
        Yup it is still a thing! https://www.metrotransit.org/guaranteed-ride-home https://www.metrotransit.org/guaranteed-ride-home
    - duxup 7y ago
      That's a cool idea to cover those fringe events that aren't worth full time service, but you want to be there to help.